Spring type abdominal exercising device



0a. 6, 1970 -v. NARDELLO 3,532,340

SPRING TYPE ABDOMINAL EXERCISING DEVICE Filed Aug. 11, 1967 I6 20 g 15 45;; ##n M y INIVENTORZ VINCENT NARDIELLO ATTORNEY United States Patent O US. Cl. 272-80 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A portable exercising device comprising an inner body encircling member having one end of a plurality of resilient members attached thereto about the periphery, and radially extending therefrom. An outer body encircling member, substantially rigid in construction is disposed in a concentric-like manner about the inner member, and the opposite ends of the resilient members are secured thereto so that a twist or pull exercised upon the outer member will be translated through a plurality of the resilient members to the inner member and thence to whichever part of the body the inner member is attached to.

OBJECTS The present invention relates to exercising devices in general, and more particularly to an exercising device especially adapted to reduce the abdomen and strengthen the abdominal muscles.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide an all-purpose exerciser for the various muscles of the human body.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the above-indicated nature, especially adapted to exercise and reduce the abdominal area of the human body.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an exercising device of the above indicated nature which will be relatively easy and economical to manufacture, yet positive and reliable in use.

Further objects and advantages will appear more fully hereinafter from a consideration of the detailed description which follows, taken together with the accompanying drawing, wherein one embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawing is for the purposes of illustration only and is not to be construed as defining the limits of the invention, reference being had for that purpose to the appended claims.

PRIOR ART Heretofore, devices of this nature in the prior art have been either of the toy-exerciser type, suitable for amuse- Inent but not adaptable for heavy duty exercising, or devices for exercising one particular part of the body, such as the abdomen.

Other devices in the prior art have been of the relative ly large non-portable type. The present invention provides a relatively compact portable exerciser adaptable to exercise a manifold number of parts of the human body and especially effective for strengthening and reducing the abdominal area.

In the drawing wherein like reference characters designate like parts:

FIG. 1 is a perspective sketch showing the invention used in its preferred application, as an abdominal reducer.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the novel exercising device.

FIG. 3 is a section view taken along the line 3-3 of FIG. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a different embodiment of the device of FIG. 2.

3,532,340 Patented Oct. 6, 1970 FIG. 5 is a section view taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawing and more particularly to FIG. 2, there is shown a novel exercising device generally designated by the numeral 10, comprising an inner beltlike member 12 embodying means such as a buckle arrangement 14, for example, for securing the same about the abdomen, or other part of the body that it is desired to exercise, as hereinafter more fully explained.

A plurality of resilient members 16, herein shown as helical springs, are attached to the inner member 12 in any prescribed manner, such as by an eyelet 20 (FIGS. 2 and 3), and extend from its outer periphery 18. The resilient members 16 are disposed approximately equidistantly about the periphery 18 of the member 12 and, in the embodiment illustrated herein, such members are attached at a plurality of attachment points 22 disposed approximately at 45 degree intervals (FIG. 2).

A relatively rigid outer member 24 is disposed concentrically about the inner member 12, and embodies a plurality of attaching points 26. The points 26 and the inner member attachment points 22 are colinear on common radii of the outer member 24, such as on line R for example (FIG. 2).

The member 24 is shown annular in cross-section in the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 and is adaptable to be firmly and readily grasped by a user of the device at any point about the circumference thereof, such as at points 28 and 30 (FIG. 1).

The resilient members 16 are attached to the outer member 24 in any prescribed positive manner such as by providing slip holes 32 at the required positions along the inner periphery 34 of the member 24, said holes being engaged by the opposite ends 36 (FIG. 3) of the resilient members 16, herein shown as springs. It is understood that other resilient members such as rubberized bands or the like having the property of elongating in response to a tensile force applied thereto, and then returning to their original length when at rest, may be employed to equal advantage.

The length L of the resilient members 16 when at rest fixes the normal distance between the inner member 12 and the outer member 24. The distance L is such that when the exercising device 10 is in use and installed about the abdomen, and grasped as at points 28 and 30 (FIG. 1), the forearm and upper arm portions of the user will be approximately at right angles with respect to one another as indicated by angle B (FIG. 1). The members 16 and the inner and outer members 12 and 24 are substantially coplanar.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5 there is shown another embodiment of the novel exercising device 10, herein designated generally by numeral 38. The exercising device 38 comprises a rigid outer member 40 having a substantially channel-like cross-section 42, as shown in FIG. 5. In addition thereto the outer member 40, while substantially circular in configuration and approximately of like diameter D as the outer member 24 (FIGS. 2 and 4), is not continuous, but is arc-form in configuration. A segment of length C removed therefrom is of such length to allow the member 40- to be conveniently encircled about the body in installing the exerciser around the abdomen, since the user of the device may readily slip through the space C.

The channel-form cross-section 42 of the member 40 allows a wide scope of means for simply attaching the resilient members '16 thereto, such as by riveting, (or bolting) an eye-attachment 44 therethrough (FIG. 5).

Having thus described the invention in the embodiments 3 illustrated, it will now be obvious to those skilled in the art that in its preferred application, to wit, as an abdominal reducer, the user may secure the belt-like inner member 12 firmly about the abdomen by means of the buckle arrangement 14.

The rigid outer member 24 is then grasped firmly, as at points 28 and 30. The exercising device is preferably firmly held in fixed position, while the area extending from the pelvis to the diaphram is smoothly gyrated about an imaginary vertical axis (much in the manner of operating a hula hoop) against the tensile force of the springs, or resilient members 16. The circular movement of the abdomen and the inner member 12 being strapped to the abdomen will necessarily cause all of the resilient members 16 to rotatively become elongated and return to rest in a fixed routine of succession. Thus all of the muscles of the abdomen will in like manner be compelled to exert themselves rotatively to elongate the resilient members 16.

It follows that if this exercise is faithfully performed daily, the excess size of the abdomen will necessarily be reduced owing to the strenuousness of the exericse. The heretofore flaccid muscles of the abdomen will accordingly gain tone and be strengthened. It must be emphasized that the herein disclosed device is not a toy.

It will be noted that the inner member is adjustable to various diameters for more conveniently encircling persons of varying girth or different parts of the body.

To exercise a different part of the body, such as a leg, the same principle may be applied. The part to be exercised will be enfolded by the inner member 12, and the outer member held firmly while the part to be exercised is moved against the force of springs 16.

It will be noted that the exercisers 10 and 38 are portable and readily transported to a convenient site for performing the exercises.

Thus there is provided an exercising device which fulfills the various objects of this invention.

While only two preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications may be made, and changes in the relative arrangement of the parts.

What is claimed is:

1. An exercising device comprising an inner member adapted to firmly and immovably encircle a part of the body, a rigid outer member concentric therewith, and a plurality of coil springs attached to the inner and outer members for exerting a tensile force requiring a very substantial muscular exertion to displace the outer member about the inner member.

2. The exercising device claimed in claim 1 wherein said coil springs extend radially between the inner member and the outer member.

3. The exercising device claimed in claim 2 wherein said coil springs are disposed at approximately degrees apart.

4. The exercising device claimed in claim 1 wherein said rigid outer member is circular and annular in cross section.

5. The exercising device claimed in claim 1 wherein said outer member is channel-like in cross section.

6. The exercising device claimed in claim 5 wherein said outer member is arc-form in configuration.

7. The exercising device claimed in claim 1 wherein said inner member is belt-like and comprises a buckle arrangement.

8. The exercising device claimed in claim 7 wherein said outer member is in configuration a circle having a segment removed therefrom, said segment being in alignment with said buckle.

9. The exercising device claimed in claim 1 wherein the inner member and the outer member and the coil springs are coplanar.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 869,920 11/1907 Marsland 272-83 2,496,748 2/1950 Pond 272- 2,725,853 12/1955 Nordheim. 3,006,645 10/1961 Frazier 272-60 3,051,482 8/196-2 Harpharn 272- 3,425,690 2/1969 Charbonnet 272-57 DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

